Katy II
by practicalamanda
Summary: Blaine grows up in a family that trains guide dogs. drabble for Blaine love fest. Blind!Kurt


**Warning for very little knowledge of the actual, real life guide dog training process. Written for Blaine Love Fest— sorry I'm late!**

Blaine didn't plan on being in the family business forever, but when doing so meant that he could help people in need _and _play with dogs, then he was totally on board, at least until he went to college. The Anderson's had been training pedigree guide dogs for three generations at this point, and Blaine was proud of the people they were able to help and the puppies they had turned into professionals.

When he was little it had been really difficult. Blaine's little kid brain couldn't understand why every fourteen months he would get a brand new puppy friend only to have it torn away from him. His Dad had explained, however, that Paddington and Chestnut and Goldie and Max and Ginger (and the list went on and on) were going on to help people who really needed them, even more than Blaine did. He may not have understood all of the specifics of it, but he understood that what his parents did was _important_ and he wanted to be apart of it.

He got his first puppy to train on his own when he was eleven. He was a black lab named Gonzo, and Blaine spent an entire summer doing almost nothing but working with him—bringing him to every public place he could think of and introducing him to all of the sights and smells that Westerville, OH had to offer. Even once school started again he would spend hours a day with Gonzo, making sure that he would be accepted into the program. After the requisite fourteen months, his puppy went back to the academy for training and within the year he was given to an elderly woman who had slowly lost her vision with age.

Blaine doesn't remember too much about that moment. It was too long ago for that, but he does remember the overwhelming sense of _pride_ that he got from being able to introduce Gonzo to his new owner.

In a way, Blaine supposed he was one of the lucky ones. For most people who worked with guide dogs, they would go back to the academy after their home stay and that would be it—they would go off to their new homes without ever going back to see their original owner. But, since Blaine's family owned the training center he got to see the puppies through the entirety of their learning process.

The first time Blaine worked with a puppy that wasn't accepted into the program was blow to say the least. Looking back, Blaine was grateful that it hadn't happened until he was about fourteen because he thought that a younger him would have taken the disappointment even harder. Lola had been a wonderful puppy and a loving companion for the year and a half that Blaine worked with her, but when it came time for her to move on to the next step, her temperament was just a little too carefree to be a working dog.

Blaine's dad tried to convince him that it wasn't his fault, that sometimes dogs that were perfectly well trained didn't turn out to be suited for the position, but Blaine still took it to heart. So much so, that he didn't take on another puppy for another year afterwards to give himself time to hone his skills.

And hone he did, he spent the entire year reading up on guide dog training, how to properly choose the best puppy of a litter, and how to provide the best training possible for your puppy. Blaine also learned how to separate himself from the dog, better enabling him to bounce back if a charge of his failed to pass the inspection.

When Blaine was fifteen, however, everything changed. Getting beaten up at a school dance was bad enough, but having to stay home for an entire semester and then repeating the 10th grade was torture. His one saving grace, was Katy. Katy, the beautiful Golden Retriever puppy that Blaine took on for training just a few weeks after his fifteenth birthday, was sweet and gentle, but was able to capture the perfect balance of authority and submission that was necessary for any good guide dog.

His dad had to take care of most of her work training once Blaine had his incident, but whenever she was off harness and able to play, Katy would faithfully stay by his side. She probably got more real life guide dog training by helping Blane get around on his crutches than any other puppy that came to the Anderson's, and Blaine was determined to make sure that she went to the best home possible.

Sending her out of the house and to the trainer was hard, but packing her up in her crate to go to her new home was heartbreaking. Blaine didn't think anything could distract him from his heavy heart as he approached Katy's new owners. Accept maybe him….

"Hi, I'm Burt, and this is my son Kurt," a older balding man introduced his son who was smiling lightly. Burt shook Mr. Anderson's hand, but Kurt was still clutching tightly to his cane.

"It's good to meet you both," Mr. Anderson responded, not counting on Blaine to say anything. He knew that this day would be hard on him. "I'm sure you're anxious to meet you new best friend," he said with a smile, "This is Katy."

Blaine finally looked up at the sound of the dog's name, and the sight before him was almost enough to completely distract him from the task at hand, as he mindlessly opened the latch to the crate, Katy waiting obediently to be commanded out.

"Why don't you try asking her to come, Kurt?" Mr. Anderson suggested. Kurt's voice had a high almost musical lilt to it, and Blaine couldn't help but continue to stare as Katy trotted over to her new companion.

"So, how about you come out back with me so you can get to know her a bit before taking her home?" Mr. Anderson suggested, after Kurt reached down to pat her on the head.

"I'll do it!" Blaine said, quickly interjecting for the opportunity to talk to Kurt without both of their dads getting in the way. His own father gave him a knowing look, but allowed Blaine to take Kurt to the yard to help him get used to Katy.

"Somehow I get the feeling this isn't that last I'll be seeing of Blaine," Mr. Hummel said, a similar smirk on his face to Mr. Anderson.

"Somehow, I think you're right," Mr. Anderson agreed.


End file.
